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Reutzel Tops I-30 Speedway’s 600 Nationals Opener

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- I-30 Speedway’s Fifth Annual 600 Nationals presented by Hoosier Tires kicked off with perhaps the most intense feature in event history on Thursday night.

And, when the checkered flag flew on Thursday night’s 25-lap main event atop the high-banked, ¼-mile clay oval, it was 20-year-old Clute, TX, shoe Aaron Reutzel standing in I-30 Speedway victory lane after sliding past two cars for the lead on the 23rd circuit. The 2009 ASCS Gulf South champion collected $1,100 for the win, including a $100 bonus from Pro Tire.

While Reutzel gridded the feature field inside the third row, it was fellow Texas contender Jeb Sessums outgunning New Jersey’s Tyler Devault for the lead at the drop of the green flag with fourth-starter Scott Sawyer moving into second by the second round.

Reutzel was on the move early, taking third away from Devault on the fifth circuit and then moving past Sawyer for second on the eighth round.

After a brief challenge for the point on the tenth round, Reutzel laid back for several rounds before turning up the heat on Sessums after the midway point.

Reutzel slid into the lead entering turn one on the 17th lap, only to have Sessums charge back by exiting the corner. The pair traded the lead again in the next pair of corners and then two more time on the next lap before Reutzel took command on the 19th lap only to have the move negated when a caution flew for past 600 Nationals champion Jerrod Wilson, who came to a stop in turn two with race-ending woes.

It was more of the same on the restart, with Sessums and Reutzel swapping the lead another pair of times on the 20th round. While Sessums retained a tenuous lead, Tyson Hall of Longview, TX, entered the mix as well and was second behind Sessums when one last caution flew with 21 laps complete for a turn three spin by Michael Dicely.

Set for a four-lap dash to the checkered flag, Sessums led the way in front of Hall, Reutzel, Dusty Young and Sawyer, with all vying for the win in the closing circuits with ambitious slide jobs in every corner.

Running third as the lead pack thundered down the backstretch on the 23rd lap, Reutzel made the winning move by diving to the bottom of turn three and successfully sliding past both Hall and then Sessums for the lead.

Reutzel raced on to the checkered flag in front of Dusty Young, with Sessums settling for show honors after leading the initial 22 circuits. Hall was fourth at the line, with Sawyer rounding out the top five.

Ryan Greth rallied from 22nd to sixth at the finish, with 18th-starter Michael Wickham, Nathan Benson, Devault and Todd McWilliams completing the top ten.

Reutzel, Garrett Abrams, Luke Thomas, Dicely, Hall, Devault and Sessums topped Thursday night’s heat race action, with Nate Fleming, Wickham and Joe B. Miller winning the 15-lap “B” Mains.

After starting tenth, Delaware’s Thomas was eliminated on the second lap of the main event when collected by a spinning Nick Bailey in turn four. Jerrod Wilson was caught up in the incident as well and rejoined the field at the tail.

A total of 61 competitors from 16 different states took part in the opening night of the Fifth Annual 600 Nationals presented by Hoosier Tires at I-30 Speedway.

Action continues with another full card of heat races, “B” Mains and an $1,100-to-win “A” Main on Friday night before finishing out with Saturday’s $3,500-to-win 600 Nationals championship finale.

The Landers Harley Davidson Horizon Mini Sprints join in on the action on both Friday and Saturday, with the I-30 Speedway Sprint Car championship to be determined on Saturday night as well.

RESULTS

I-30 Speedway’s Fifth Annual 600 Nationals presented by Hoosier Tires Thursday Results:

Heat Races (Top 16 in Passing/Finishing Points to “A” Main; Balance to Three “B” Mains):

First Heat (10 Laps): 1. 4w-Aaron Reutzel (Clute, TX), 2. 69r-Clayton Robertson (Osceola, AR), 3. 2b-Nathan Benson (Concordia, MO), 4. 10a-Zach Alley (Tulsa, OK), 5. 55s-Sammy LaMothe III (Yardville, NJ), 6. 1x-Bobby Zaiontz (Columbus, MS), 7. 1z-Brock Zearfoss (Jamestown, PA), 8. 1a-Alex Sewell (Broken Arrow, OK), 9. 14mc-Thomas McCann (Hensley, PA).

Second Heat (10 Laps): 1. 1g-Garrett Abrams (Rushville, IN), 2. 7-Nick Bailey (Cabot, AR), 3. X4-Caleb Martin (Lewisberry, PA), 4. 22j-Josh Rehm (Conway, AR), 5. 42-Jimmy McClain (Byhalia, MS), 6. 1j-Ryan Greth (Harrisburg, PA), 7. 10e-Matt Ebarb (Bossier, LA), 8. 08-Logan Martin (West Plains, MO), 9. 49-Mark Parker (West Memphis, AR).

Third Heat (10 Laps): 1. 2T-Luke Thomas (Camden, DE), 2. 1y-Dusty Young (Benton, AR), 3. 7j-Jerrod Wilson (Tulsa, OK), 4. 56h-Dean Hathman (Columbia, MO), 5. 13-Triston Tidmore (Hernando, MS), 6. 71-Blake Jenkins (Bryant, AR), 7. 13m-Chance McCrary (Farmersville, TX). DNS: 70b-Tim Brothers (Little Rock, AR), 85c-Jason Goodwin (Princeton, KY).

Fourth Heat (10 Laps): 1. 44-Michael Dicely (Lewisberry, PA), 2. 60x-Chance Terrel (Oklahoma City, OK), 3. 70w-Michael Wickham (Ramona, OK), 4. 16-Nate Fleming (Great Bend, KS), 5. 96-Samantha Gargus (Memphis, TN), 6. 56-Scott Hathman (Columbia, MO), 7. 2d-Dennis Carrier (Phoenix, AZ). DNS: 07-Dylan Wickham (Ramona, OK), 48-Josh Center (Surprise, AZ).

Fifth Heat (10 Laps): 1. 5x-Tyson Hall (Longview, TX), 2. 51b-Joe B. Miller (Millersville, MO), 3. 29-Scott Sawyer (Broken Arrow, OK), 4. 10m-Eric Sandage (Alexander, AR), 5. 69-Stacy Veuleman (Many, LA), 6. 22T-Travis Senter, Jr. (Osceola, AR), 7. 9x-Bradley Meyer (Little Rock, AR), 8. 64-Chad Boone (Great Bend, KS), 9. 88w-Eric Wright (Goodlettsville, TN).

Sixth Heat (10 Laps): 1. 18T-Tyler Devault (Delran, NJ), 2. 23m-Howard Moore (Memphis, TN), 3. 83-Karlas Stephens (Benton, AR), 4. 21-Christoper Bell (Norman, OK), 5. 33a-Andrew Teuscher (Nesbit, MS), 6. 88d-Brandon Darlington (Bossier, LA), 7. 8-Allen Barker (Eldorado, AR), 8. 31z-Brent Zimmerman (Great Bend, KS).

Seventh Heat (10 Laps): 1. 01j-Jeb Sessums (Burleson, TX), 2. 8z-Frederic Fezard (Bonnedale, AR), 3. 28-Todd McWilliams (Conway, AR), 4. 32x-Brad McDaniel (Carbondale, IL), 5. 0-Marty Hargroder (Opelousas, LA), 6. 6g-Dustin Gates (Haughton, LA), 7. 6x-Chris Meyer (Little Rock, AR). DNS: 20-Jeremy Postlethwait (Benton, AR).

B Mains (Top 2 from Each Advance to “A” Main):

First “B” Main (15 Laps): 1. 16-Nate Fleming (Great Bend, KS), 2. 22T-Travis Senter, Jr. (Osceola, AR), 3. 60x-Chance Terrel (Oklahoma City, OK), 4. 23m-Howard Moore (Memphis, TN), 5. 33a-Andrew Teuscher (Nesbit, MS), 6. 1a-Alex Sewell (Tulsa, OK), 7. 55s-Sammy LaMothe III (Yardville, NJ), 8. 13m-Chance McCrary (Farmersville, TX), 9. 71-Blake Jenkins (Bryant, AR), 10. 49-Mark Parker (West Memphis, AR), 11. 13-Triston Tidmore (Hernando, MS), 12. 14mc-Thomas McCann (Hensley, AR), 13. 69-Stacy Veuleman (Many, LA). DNS: 1z-Brock Zearfoss (Jamestown, PA), 20-Jeremy Postlethwait (Benton, AR).

Second “B” Main (15 Laps): 1. 70w-Michael Wickham (Ramona, OK), 2. 1x-Bobby Zaiontz (Columbus, MS), 3. 10a-Zach Alley (Tulsa, OK), 4. 08-Logan Martin (West Plains, MO), 5. 96s-Samantha Gargus (Memphis, TN), 6. 0-Marty Hargroder (Opelousas, LA), 7. 10e-Matt Ebarb (Bossier, LA), 8. 69r-Clayton Robertson (Osceola, AR), 9. 8z-Frederick Fezard (Bonnedale, AR), 10. 42-Jimmy McClain (Byhalia, MS), 11. 64-Chad Boone (Great Bend, KS), 12. 85c-Jason Goodwin (Princeton, KS). DNS: 6g-Dustin Gates (Haughton, LA), 8-Allen Barker (Eldorado, AR), 07-Dylan Wickham (Ramona, OK).

Third “B” Main (15 Laps): 1. 51b-Joe B. Miller (Millersville, MO), 2. 1j-Ryan Greth (Harrisburg, PA), 3. 21-Christopher Bell (Norman, OK), 4. 6x-Chris Meyer (Little Rock, AR), 5. 10m-Eric Sandage (Alexander, AR), 6. 22j-Josh Rehm (Conway, AR), 7. 83-Karlas Stephens (Benton, AR), 8. 88d-Brandon Darlington (Bossier, LA), 9. 56-Scott Hathman (Columbia, MO), 10. 70b-Tim Brothers (Little Rock, AR), 11. 9x-Bradley Meyer (Little Rock, AR), 12. 48-Josh Center (Surprise, AZ). DNS: 2d-Dennis Carrier (Phoenix, AZ), 31z-Brent Zimmerman (Great Bend, KS), 88w-Eric Wright (Goodlettsville, TN).

Fifth Annual 600 Nationals Thursday “A” Feature

A Feature (25 Laps): 1. 4w-Aaron Reutzel (Clute, TX), 2. 1y-Dusty Young (Benton, AR), 3. 01j-Jeb Sessums (Burleson, TX), 4. 5x-Tyson Hall (Longview, TX), 5. 29-Scott Sawyer (Broken Arrow, OK), 6. 1j-Ryan Greth (Harrisburg, PA), 7. 70w-Michael Wickham (Ramona, OK), 8. 2b-Nathan Benson (Concordia, MO), 9. 18t-Tyler Devault (Delran, NJ), 10. 28-Todd McWilliams (Conway, AR), 11. 32-Brad McDaniel (Carbondale, IL), 12. X4-Caleb Martin (Lewisberry, PA), 13. 56h-Dean Hathman (Columbia, MO), 14. 1x-Bobby Zaiontz (Columbus, MS), 15. 44-Michael Dicely (Lewisberry, PA), 16. 1g-Garrett Abrams (Rushville, IN), 17. 7-Nick Bailey (Cabot, AR), 18. 16-Nate Fleming (Great Bend, KS), 19. 7j-Jerrod Wilson (Tulsa, OK), 20. 51b-Joe B. Miller (Millersville, MO), 21. 22T-Travis Senter, Jr. (Osceola, AR), 22. 2T-Luke Thomas (Camden, DE).

Lap Leaders; Jeb Sessums 1-22, Aaron Reutzel 23-25.

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